Paper loading device for data printer



Dec. 27, 1966 J. D. GEARHEART E 3,294,212

PAPER LOADING DEVICE FOR DATA PRINTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Mm 4, 1965 l7\\ FNTORS JUH/V 0 6541066407 w/mm 0 0494/0555 Dec. 27, 1966 J. D. GEARHEART ET AL PAPER LOADING DEVICE FOR DATA PRINTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1965 United States Patent 3,294,212 PAPER LOADING DEVICE FOR DATA PRINTER John D. Gearheart, Covina, and Donald 0. Rasmussen, Arcadia, Calif., assignors to Clary Corporation, San Gabriel, Califi, a corporation of California Filed Mar. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 437,216 2 Claims. (Cl. 197-133) This invention relates to data printers and has particular reference to paper loading and advancing mechanism therefor, wherein the paper or other record medium may be readily replaced when exhausted.

In the installation of data printers in spacecraft, military aircraft, etc., for receiving messages from the ground or from other craft, the size and weight of such printers must necessarily be kept to a minimum, thus restricting the size of a roll or other supply of paper on which data is to be printed. On the other hand, in order not to lose the context of any message being received, it is necessary to readily and rapidly reload a new supply of paper under any abnormal or adverse environmental conditions which might be experienced at the time of reloading.

In certain cases, it may be necessary that the pilot or other person servicing the printer wear heavy gloves which would hamper normal threading of the paper through various paper guiding devices, etc., usually found in data printers.

Also, because of the many and varied duties imposed on a pilot or other personnel of a spacecraft or aircraft, the time which he may have available for performing the task of reloading paper may be extremely limited.

It therefore becomes a principal object of the present invention to provide means for quickly and readily reloading a paper or other record strip in a data printer of the above type.

Another object is to paper strip in a data tions.

Another object is to facilitate reloading of a paper strip in a data printer in a minimum amount of time on the part of a person servicing the printer.

Another object is to enable reloading of a paper strip in a data printer by a person wearing heavy gloves or in cases where finger dexterity may be below normal.

Another object is to provide a replaceable paper cartridge or module for data printers which does not re quire any mechanical connection to the printer mechanism other than the mounting means therefor.

Another object is to provide a compact but reliable replaceable paper cartridge for a data printer.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention are accomplished will be readily understood on reference to the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a data printer embodying a preferred form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating the paper cartridge swung into an open position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the paper cartridge with portions broken away to illustrate certain of the parts.

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation view of the paper cartridge.

FIG. 5 is a front view of one of the bearing plates.

FIG. 6 is a schematic electrical diagram of the circuit for the paper strip mechanism and the printing hammer actuating mechanism.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the data printer comprises a type wheel 11 mounted on a shaft 12 rotatably provide means for reloading a printer under various adverse condimounted in bearings supported between side walls of a printer casing 13.

A series of type characters are equally spaced around the periphery of the wheel 11 and means (not shown) are provided to rotate the type wheel to present selected type character to a print line. The type wheel is also shiftable laterally along the shaft 12 to effect printing in different character positions along the print line so as to record a line of print.

A paper strip 14 on which impression of selected type characters are imprinted is carried by a removable paper cartridge generally indicated at 15. The latter comprises a wall member 16 adapted to be attached to the printer casing 13 by screws 17 so as to cover an opening 18 in the casing and to present a portion of the paper strip 14 in cooperative relation to the type wheel.

Hook-shaped lugs 20 are formed on opposite sides of the wall member and are arranged to pivot over studs 21 extending from the printer casing to permit the cartridge to be swung from open to closed positions and yet permit complete removal of the cartridge by lifting the same upwardly when in open position.

The cartridge includes two spaced side walls, one of which is shown at 22, which are integral with the wall member 16 and which support various elements of the cartridge, including a supply roll 23, a takeup roll 24, a paper advance mechanism generally indicated at 25 and a printing hammer 26.

The takeup roll 24 is mounted on a shaft 27 rotatably mounted at opposite ends thereof in bearings formed in bearing plates, one of which is shown at 23, FIG. 5. The latter plates are suitably secured to an arcuate shroud 30 supported by the cartridge end plates.

A cover member 31 is pivotally supported at 32 to normally enclose the takeup roll to prevent paper lint, dust, etc., from falling from the paper onto the type wheel and other operating parts of the printer. A second cover 33 is pivotally supported at 34 to enclose the supply roll 23.

The paper strip 14 extends from over a guide roll 35, past the type wheel 11, over a second guide roll 36, around a feed roll 37, under a pressure roll 38 and onto the takeup roll 24. The pressure roll 38 holds the paper by intimate contact with the feed roll over a suflicient angle of contact to insure proper driving of the paper by the feed roll.

Means are provided to intermittently advance the strip equal increments of movement following recording of lines of print. For this purpose, a ratchet wheel 40 is attached to one end of the feed roll 37 and is engaged by spring pressed pawl 41 pivoted at 42 on an arm 43 which, in turn, is pivotally supported for movement about the axis of the feed roll 37. A link 49 is connected between the arm 43 and the armature 44 of an electromagnet generally indicated at 45. The latter is supported from the adjacent side wall of the cartridge by brackets, one of which is shown at 49. The armature is pivotally supported at 46 and is normally held in its illustrated rocked position by a tension spring 47. Upon energization of the coil of the electromagnet 45 the armature 44 is drawn downwardly to advance the pawl 41 counterclockwise whereby to incrementally advance the paper strip from one print line to the next.

Means are provided for yieldably rotating the takeup roll upon advancement of the strip by the feed roll 37. For this purpose, the takeup roll is provided with a gear 48 driven by a gear 50 which is entrained with the feed roller 37 by means of a belt 51. The belt is wrapped over pulleys on the feed roller and on gear 50. The belt is adapted to slip on the entrained pulleys whereby to compensate for changes in diameter of the roll 24 as it accumulates more and more of the strip 14.

the supply roll 23,

The paper strip 14 is preferably impregnated with a material which renders a visible imprint of a selected type character on the wheel 11 when struck against the latter by the hammer 26.

The hammer 26 is in the form of a bail having arms at opposite ends thereof pivotally supported on a shaft 52 which also rotatably supports the paper guide roller 35. One of the arms of the hammer extends rearwardly to form an armature 53 which cooperates with an electromagnet 54. Electromagnet 54 is supported from the adjacent side wall of the cartridge by brackets 59. When the coil of the latter armature is energized it will attract the armature 53, thus swinging the hammer counterclockwise (as viewed in FIG. 4) against the action of a tension spring 65 to cause a printing impact against the type wheel.

In order to accurately align the cartridge with the type wheel 11, the shaft 52 is extended at opposite ends thereof to fit within locating slots 55 formed in the side walls of the casing 13, when the cartridge is moved to closed position.

A window 156 is formed in the wall member 16, permitting the last several lines of print to be viewed directly from outside the printer.

In order to facilitate installation and removal of the cartridge with a minimum amount of attention and as fast as possible, the coils of the electromagnets 45 and 54 are connected through electric conductors (not shown) to respective pairs of electrical sockets 60 and 61 provided by a connector member 56 which is attached to the wall member 16. When the cartridge is swung into its closed position, the sockets 60 and 61 are engaged by respective electrical plugs 57 carried by a connector member 58 which is attached to one of the side walls of the printer casing. The plug members are electrically connected to certain electrical equipment (not shown) within the casing 13 including a power supply circuit 70 (FIG. 6) so that the electromagnets 45 and 54 may be operated by remote control through suitable switching devices, i.e. 71 and 72, respectively.

It will be noted from the foregoing description that the cartridge may be easily and quickly removed and replaced with a minimum amount of attention. Thus, with the provision of two or more cartridges, one may be placed in operative position in the printer while the other may be threaded at ones leisure and be held in readiness to be inserted in position at a moments notice.

Although the invention has been described in detail and certain specific terms and languages have been used, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is illustnattive rather than restrictive and that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. Means for removably mounting a record strip in cooperative relation with a data printer having power transmission means and a rotatable type member carrying a plurality of type characters therearound,

comprising a cartridge having a wall member,

means for removably attaching said wall member to said printer,

said wall member having a window therein,

spaced strip supply and takeup rolls supported by said cartridge on opposite sides of said window,

means on said cartridge for guiding a record strip from said supply roll,

intermediate said type member and said window and onto said takeup roll,

means on said cartridge for advancing said strip in equal increments onto said takeup roll,

a hammer carried by said cartridge intermediate the path of said strip and said window for effecting an imprint of a selected one of said type characters onto said strip,

said hammer being located intermediate said rolls,

means carried by said cartridge for actuating said hammer, and

means responsive to attachment of said cartridge to said printer for connecting said power transmission means to said advancing means and said actuating means,

an imprint of said type character on said strip being visible through said window.

2. Means according to claim 1 wherein said power transmission means comprises an electric circuit, said strip advancing means comprises an electromagnetically operable device and said hammer actuating means comprises a second electromagnetic device.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 710,089 9/1902 Williams 1971 X 1,932,977 10/1933 Long et al. 2,098,940 11/1937 Blohm 197-133 X 2,504,759 4/1950 Thompson 197133 2,831,424 4/1958 MacDonald 197-1 2,912,090 11/1959 Holmes 197-19 FOREIGN PATENTS 322,294 6/ 1920 Germany.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

DAVID KLEIN, Examiner.

E. T. WRIGHT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. MEANS FOR REMOVABLY MOUNTING A RECORD STRIP IN COOPERATIVE RELATION WITH A DATA PRINTER HAVING POWER TRANSMISSION MEANS AND A ROTATABLE TYPE MEMBER CARRYING A PLURALITY OF TYPE CHARACTERS THEREAROUND, COMPRISING A CARTRIDGE HAVING A WALL MEMBER, MEANS FOR REMOVABLY ATTACHING SAID WALL MEMBER TO SAID PRINTER, SAID WALL MEMBER HAVING A WINDOW THEREIN, SPACED STRIP SUPPLY AND TAKEUP ROLLS SUPPORTED BY SAID CARTRIDGE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID WINDOW, MEANS ON SAID CARTRIDGE FOR GUIDING A RECORD STRIP FROM SAID SUPPLY ROLL, INTERMEDIATE SAID TYPE MEMBER AND SAID WINDOW AND ONTO SAID TAKEUP ROLL, MEANS ON SAID CARTRIDGE FOR ADVANCING SAID STRIP IN EQUAL INCREMENTS ONTO SAID TAKEUP ROLL, A HAMMER CARRIED BY SAID CARTRIDGE INTERMEDIATE THE PATH OF SAID STRIP AND SAID WINDOW FOR EFFECTING AN IMPRINT OF A SELECTED ONE OF SAID TYPE CHARACTERS ONTO SAID STRIP, SAID HAMMER BEING LOCATED INTERMEDIATE SAID ROLLS, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CARTRIDGE FOR ACTUATING SAID HAMMER, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO ATTACHMENT OF SAID CARTRIDGE TO SAID PRINTER FOR CONNECTING SAID POWER TRANSMISSION MEANS TO SAID ADVANCING MEANS AND SAID ACTUATING MEANS, AN IMPRINT OF SAID TYPE CHARACTER ON SAID STRIP BEING VISIBLE THROUGH SAID WINDOW. 